Saturn's years of being the darling of the automotive industry are
over. For years dealers had to live with one line, the S-Series, but
they did it successfully through a "Listen To The Voice of The Customer"
approach to retailing and good customer service. A larger Saturn, the L-
Series, has been creating new curiosity, and an upcoming SUV should pull
lots of newcomers to Saturn showrooms. This week we test the SC2 coupe.

OUTSIDE - The new SC's exterior sports a new look. Larger headlamps,
turn signals and daytime running lights give the front end a bolder
look, while the rear end features new tail lamps and back-up lamps.
Saturn's famous dent-resistant plastic body panels remain, though a
sweeping character line now runs the sides from the base of the front
bumper to the tops of the rear quarter panels. And while it may look
like it's a hatchback, it's not. It has a fully usable trunk that offers
a sizable amount of cargo capacity. One of the best features of this
little coupe is its third door, which swings open "suicide" style on the
driver's side to allow simple access to the back seat. Our test car came
with optional directional alloy wheels and grippy performance tires.

INSIDE - The interior is well-appointed, with deeply scooped bucket
seats that have good side bolstering and lots of adjustment. The rear
seats are typical of a compact car in that there is just barely enough
room for two adults. Thankfully, the extra side door make climbing in
back easy, though a fourth door on the passenger (curb) side would be
even nicer. New this year are optional side curtain airbags on all
Saturn vehicles. There is a fair amount of storage scattered about the
cabin, and the clean, simple dashboard design locates the ventilation
and audio systems together, separated by a shallow compartment for a
wallet, sunglasses or other small items. A set of analog gauges resides
under the lip of the dashboard top, while easy-to-use rotary knobs and a
thumb-wheel control temperature and fan speed. SC2's come standard with
an impressive array of features. Among them are air conditioning, power
door locks, windows and mirrors, keyless remote entry, an AM/FM/CD
stereo system, intermittent wipers, a 60/40 split rear seat and a rear
window defroster.

ON THE ROAD - The entry-level SC, the SC1, comes with a 1.9 liter
single overhead cam four cylinder engine. Its 100 horsepower and 114
pound-feet of torque won't win any races, but it gets up to 40 miles per
gallon on regular gasoline. Our SC2 came with the same size engine, but
it has twin cams atop its cylinder head to boost power up to 124 and
torque to 122 lb-ft. This is the same powertrain it has had for a while,
and it does an adequate job for the price. New this year are added
sound-deadening efforts to quiet engine noise at higher speeds. Power is
just enough to avoid white-knuckle experiences when launching into
highway traffic, while the optional four-speed automatic transmission
kicks down smoothly into lower gears in passing situations. A five-speed
manual is standard and does a good job of making things a bit more
sporting, though most SC2 buyers will opt for the automatic. Traction
control, which limits wheel spin, is a desirable option in icy climates.

BEHIND THE WHEEL - The front suspension is of the MacPherson strut
type, with a thick stabilizer bar, coil springs and tube shocks. The
rear suspension consists of a tri-link layout with two unequal-length
links and one longitudinal link, along with a stabilizer bar in the case
of the SC2 model. A quicker-ratio rack-and-pinion steering system than
that of the SC1 is also standard and features a variable-assist system
that gives light effort and good on-center feel. Braking is handled via
front discs and rear drums, with a four-wheel anti-lock braking system
(ABS) offered as optional equipment. ABS comes bundled with traction
control. Overall, the Saturn SC2 is a bargain sports coupe.